Greetings from Cousin Virginia
What it is:
Photo measuring slightly over 3.5 x 5.5 inches.
What I know about it:
The photographer’s embossed name is so far to the right that it is partly cut off, but it appears to say Mitchell / 957 Market / San Francisco. Written on the back in pen is Wishing you all a Merry Xmas, Your cousin, Virginia. Written beneath that in a different hand, in pencil, is Sanborn Hutchinson.
Comments:
In addition to the flowers, she appears to be holding a scroll, so I’m guessing this is a graduation portrait. And yet it conveys Christmas greetings. Did she not graduate in the spring? Was a Christmas gift of a small photo something special, or do we assume these cousins were distant (in location as well as affection)? In any case, I’m sure Cousin Virginia’s charms were welcome, whatever the season or occasion.
Pics of Then 
I couldn’t help but look up 957 Market Street. It is in the mid-Market area. It’s difficult to connect this lovely portrait with the current state of that section of Market Street. I’m guessing that this photo was taken during the Edwardian era, when the commercial decline of mid-Market was decades away.
I did a little googling, too. I didn’t find that photographer, but I found reference to a different photographer at the same address. So I wonder if that building used to cater to photographers somehow, or if it was just a coincidence. The photo actually says “957 Mar / San Fra”, but I don’t think it’s too much to assume that it’s Market Street in San Francisco.
How interesting. I’m also curious about Riverside Studio in Reno, Nevada (the photo with the lady in the over-sized chair). I’m assuming that it was near the Truckee River. I googled that, but only came up with a few photos that are part of a U of Nevada archive. Fun stuff! I hope you can find other SF and Reno photos. : )